Stranded
by Yaoi Goddess of Doom
Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Riku turned into a crash landing. And all over a silly sandwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters.
1. All Over a Dumb Sandwich

_Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Riku turned into a crash landing. And all over a silly sandwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters._

**A.N.:** Hello guys and Merry Christmas! Here is a special first chapter of my short canon story of Lea and Riku (LeaKu) that I have promised for the longest time. Tell me what you think so far. This is my first canon(ish) story, and if there are mistakes about story plot, I apologize! Just tell me in a PM and I'll fix it ASAP. I know the story, but not having played the game in a while, I may have incorrectly written something. In any case, I hope viewers enjoy. Also, I'll be working on the sequel to "Latte Boy" at the same time, so if you read that story, I'll be posting it soon as well. Double Christmas story special.

* * *

><p>Lea was preparing his duffel bag for the long trip ahead of him.<p>

The redhead was exhausted from the week before. Stopping Xehanort temporarily in his tracks from causing another catastrophe as well as his childhood best friend, Isa...or Saïx, opposing against him made his mind heavy. His shoulders carried an overwhelming responsibility since he was now one of the seven lights to oppose the thirteen darknesses. Lea was somehow claimed as one of the wielders of the Keyblade, something he could barely decipher. The basic information he knew was that the Keyblade was able to fight off the Heartless, Nobodies, anything that manifested darkness.

But, he didn't know how to use the damn thing yet. It only seemed to appear in his hand randomly. This Keyblade of his was something so different from the Chakrams he was accustomed to. But, the main reasoning for his trip was to receive instruction and advice on how to use this newfound weapon that had an uncanny ability to appear whenever it wanted to. So he was to go to the Colloseum with Riku and train with some guy named Hercules...was that his name?

Lea folded the rest of his clothing, squeezing them into the remaining space of his bag. He blew out one long breath, not looking forward to the hard work that came with the journey ahead of him. Learning how to fight with a foreign weapon of light was no easy task and it was sure to tire him out. He would much rather stay in bed and kick back, much like the old days when he used to be in Organization XIII. But, he couldn't just say no; he really didn't have any say on the matter when the worlds were in impeccable danger. And worse, themselves.

Lea threw the bag over his shoulder, going down the spiral staircase of the Mysterious Tower. With a small smile on his face, he exited the door of the tower, about to step onto the peaceful small field in front. However, he felt the heat of a swift Fire spell that just shot right past his cheek, making his eyes widen right on the spot. "Holy shi-"

"Lea! Are you okay?" Kairi called from the opposite side of the field. So much for the start of a peaceful day.

"Yeah, but what are you doing practicing without Sora looking after you?"

Kairi gulped in response, hiding her floral designed Keyblade behind her small figure. "Let's keep it a secret between the both of us, huh?" As Lea opened his mouth to respond, he heard the door open and close behind him. He turned around to see Riku with a matching duffel bag of his own, slinging it over his broad shoulder with Sora following shortly after him. Riku slowly inspected the two, his eyes seeming to know the secrets of what just occurred. Sea-green eyes squinted as he saw the scorched mark from the Fire spell on the door. Riku blamed the redhead with an accusatory glare, walking past him with a snort.

"But it was Ka- Oh sure, blame the pyromaniac," he muttered underneath his breath, to which Riku simply ignored or did not catch. Whether he was oblivious to the cover for Kairi or simply did not care, Lea did not know. But, Kairi was getting her share of a sigh of relief, thanking the taller male with a smile. The redhead smiled back before he heard the high whir of the Gummi ship, knowing fully it was now time to go. "Looks like that's my cue to go save the world and stuff," he joked.

"At least try to say it seriously. For your sake," Kairi giggled, her eyes flitting over to Riku and Sora. Lea followed her stare, his lips twisting to the side in distaste. "I know what you're thinking. Riku's just not a people person. He'll warm up to you in no time, especially if you're serious about being a Keyblade wielder."

Lea nodded, continuing to stare at the silver haired male, whom was now smiling widely at the brunette. Lea had to admit, the guy looked a lot less intimidating with a smile on his face. He wished he were able to make the male smile as well, knowing full well it would save him a lot of silence and awkwardness on the upcoming trip. Maybe that was something he should work on.

"Good luck you guys! And train hard!" Sora said as a farewell, waving as the two climbed into the Gummi ship. Lea uncomfortably settled into his seat, his long legs bent too far for his own taste. He glanced at the male on his right to see how he fared, which caused him to bite on his own tongue from laughing. Riku had about just as much trouble as he did, trying to adjust the position of his legs and settling for crossing them with an annoyed huff.

"Well, this is roomy," Lea joked, placing his bag on the small gap in between the both of their chairs. Riku said nothing in return, his hands going to the buttons in front of him on the dashboard.

"Well, it would be a lot roomier if Sora was here instead of you. He's way smaller," Riku commented. Lea's eyebrow twitched in response, but he allowed it to slide.

"You calling me fat?" Lea chuckled. Riku turned to shoot an odd look at the redhead. He then sighed, the corner of his lip lifting up in the SLIGHTEST bit that faded just as quickly. It wasn't exactly a smile, but Lea would take anything at this point.

"Let's keep our spirits up then. This ship runs on smiles," Riku instructed as he pressed more buttons. Lea felt the vehicle lift and looked out the window to confirm that they were starting to take off.

"Wait, shouldn't there be a countdown or-"

"Blast off."

The gummi ship shot off, the scenery outside their window turning to a fast blur. Lea didn't know it was possible to be sucked into his seat anymore than he did, but it happened. His legs were tucked into himself, his hands gripped the arm rests of his chair, and his mouth was forced open in a comedic way. The whole ship shook with a force as it shot off into space that Lea shut his eyes tightly.

And then silence. There was no more rumbling, his body wasn't forced against the chair. Two green eyes opened tentatively and examined his surroundings, and he murmured out, "Woah. That was quick."

Lea stared out the ship's windows. They were actually in space. Vast blacks, purples, and blues filled with stars. Off in the distance, he could see the other worlds, circular, colorful, and spinning. This was the first time seeing the worlds from the outside...

Lea leaned back with a smile, appreciating the view. He looked over at Riku, who was doing the exact opposite. He stiffly had his hands on the wheel and paid attentively to the "road" ahead. "Hey, why so stiff?" Lea asked curiously. "Don't you see this amazing view?"

"I'm not stiff," Riku argued lightly, his eyebrow arching. "And the view is...nothing special."

Lea pursed his lips at the reaction of the fantastic view. He soon understood what Riku meant, however. The view was spectacular for about five minutes before the redhead stifled a big yawn. He leaned over to the silver haired male, who still appeared to be in concentration even if the path was clear and uneventful, and smirked as he pointed in a direction purposely in front of Riku's line of vision.

"You know, that galaxy over there. It sort of looks like a pe-"

Riku's hand went to cover Lea's mouth just in time, his eyebrows knitting together in disapproval. He shoved Lea's hand away. "No...it does not," he coughed out, taking his hand off Lea's mouth.

Lea's stomach then growled. He instinctively reached for his duffel bag and opened it, digging out a sandwich. Riku glanced and did a double take as he saw Lea unwrap the aluminum foil.

"No eating in the gummi ship," Riku said as he grabbed Lea's sandwich.

"And why not?" whined the redhead as he clutched at his growling stomach.

"The amount of crumbs and sticky spots I had to clean for this damn ship to be clean...don't want to do that again."

"And how long do we have until we get there?"

"Probably some hours."

Lea scoffed, reaching for his sandwich and successfully grabbing it. "No way am I waiting hours to eat. I'm having food now."

Riku narrowed his eyes as he let go of the wheel. He pulled a lever for autopilot and turned around in his chair to face Lea. "Listen. My gummi ship, Highwind. My rules. Got it?"

"I thought it was Excalibur," Lea taunted with accentuated syllables.

"It's HIGHWIND," Riku growled, grabbing for the sandwich. Lea held it right out of his grasp with an extended tongue. Riku sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not in the mood for this, Axel."

"Lea," Lea corrected.

"Whatever. I just don't want you to eat-" Lea then took a purposeful bite out of his sandwich, some microscopical crumbs, that Riku's eyes suddenly had the ability to see, fall onto the controls. "No, no, you're already making Highwind dirty!" Riku disgustedly said.

"Excalibur," Lea corrected with a full mouth, wiping his fingers on the dashboard.

"You are getting on my last nerve," Riku growled out.

Lea rolled his eyes and laughed lightly, but he soon yelled as Riku lunged out of his seat and onto him. He had to admire the dedication the silver haired male had to get the sandwich back.

Because it was a small area to work with, Riku leaned in so closely to Lea that the redhead noticed it right off the bat. Lea's eyes bulged as the silver haired male nearly straddled him with an angry look on his face, reaching for the sandwich. Lea saw the beads of sweat on the other's neck, smelled the manly scented cologne of Riku's skin, heard the grunting of Riku's tenor voice...

Lea felt confused as his own body reacted down in his southern region. He was also confused why the gummi ship had stopped moving maybe a minute ago?

Riku finally grabbed the sandwich and ripped it away from the redhead, frowning at him. "Don't you dare do that agai-..." Riku noticed the blank stare in Lea's eyes and stopped mid-sentence. He raised his eyebrow at the redheaded male. "Axel?"

Not even bothering to correct his own name, Lea looked past Riku's shoulder and murmured, "Riku, we stopped moving."

Puzzled, the silver haired male climbed off of Lea and stared out the window. The ship did seem to be still, but Riku soon noticed they were starting to descend slowly. That's when the whirring alarm of the ship started. Panicked, Riku grabbed Lea's shoulders and growled out, "Quick. Smile or something!"

"I can't feel happy on an empty stomach," Lea argued, his green eyes moving from Riku to the window. "Y-you're captain! YOU do something!"

"Why do you have to be- we wouldn't be falling if you just listened to me!" The gummi ship rattled as it bumped against some debris, making Riku lose balance and hold onto the dashboard with all his might.

"Well, maybe if you gave me my sandwich!" Lea yelled over the alarm, standing up unsteadily while holding onto his seat. Riku looked menacingly at the redhead, but his expression turned fearful as another bump threatened to throw off his balance again.

"I'm going to do a crash landing!" Riku shouted, shuffling to the pilot's seat carefully. He threw on his seatbelt, turning off autopilot and grabbing the wheel with such intensity, his knuckles turned ice-white. "Hold on!"

Lea strapped his seatbelt across his frame, his body bouncing roughly as they were entering the world's atmosphere. They were driving head first towards a world that he did not recognize, the gravity soon pulling them in. The turbulence of their crash landing soon became too much for Lea to handle and then his head made contact with the dashboard. Harsh.

"LEA!" he heard Riku scream before the dull ringing inside his ear became higher and higher, until he fell unconscious.


	2. Hey, what happened to my hands?

_Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Riku turned into a crash landing. And all over a silly s__andwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters._

**A.N.:** Hey guys, here's an update. And a chocolate chip cookie. And a motivational hug to keep anyone going. And now I'm hungry.

* * *

><p>Lea's eyes opened in a daze as his head pounded ferociously.<p>

His eyes moved to and fro, examining his surroundings blankly. As Lea's eyesight focused, he felt the dry ground beneath him. "Where the hell did we crash..." He muttered. He stood up with a groan, not getting much higher than a crawling stance. At least he wasn't dead. Lea blew a strand of red hair from his face, walking unsteadily around the shady spot that to his discovery was only a large rock that curved and served as his shade. Lea then stepped out into the sunny open space of what looked like a savannah. Except it was a savannah that was drying up slowly, with faint traces of vegetation.

Lea blinked once. Twice. A third time because of the harsh light coming from the sun, a blazing hot sun he might add. He groaned as his limbs complained with each movement. Why couldn't his body just let him stand up...

On a more important side note, where was Riku and the ship?

Off in the distance on the dry plains, the redhead could make out the gummi ship in the shape of a colorful blob. "Bingo," Lea said with a smirk, making his way over slowly.

Lea examined the gummi ship, some of the damages apparent in the form of bumps and scratches. "Well, there's the ship." He surveyed the vehicle; it still looked like it was able to run...On a closer inspection, his eyes made out his reflection.

Lea suddenly jumped back with a yell, landing straight on his back. He jerked back into an upright position, his hands- rather his paws- now in plain, noticeable sight. He turned them over with a quivering breath. Auburn, red tinted paws with sharp claws replaced his hands. Just to clarify on what he thought he was, he peered at his reflection once more.

Confused, cat-like emerald eyes now more almond shaped stared back at him. Dark auburn fur surrounded his eyes that soon traveled to a lighter tone that surrounded his face. A black, triangular nose paired with whiskers and a jaw lined with tan fur replaced his previous human face. Lastly, a dark, crimson mane surrounded his face and traveled along the front and back of his neck. "Woah..." Lea murmured, turning around to see his long tail that ended with thick, auburn hair.

Lea shook his head, remembering his mission to find Riku. Suddenly, the door of the gummi ship opened and Lea craned his neck around the vehicle to see. The duffel bags he and Riku packed were thrown out, followed shortly by a white lion.

"Riku?" Lea called out, getting the other's attention quickly. "Riku, is that you?"

The other padded lightly towards him, looking up with cat-like sea foam eyes. "You woke up. And you seem to be walking right on your feet," Riku said, looking over Lea concerned. "After the crash I thought you'd..."

Lea's ear perked up as he waited for the rest of Riku's sentence. Was he actually voicing care and concern towards him for once? "Never mind. Listen, about our current situation..."

The redhead sighed as Riku got right back to business. Always so serious with the redhead...Lea stared as Riku continued to speak, but didn't listen to the words that came out of his mouth. The redhead examined how this world had changed Riku. Unlike Lea, Riku barely had any discoloration on his fur. It stayed silver consistently throughout, except where it turned a pure white on his underbelly, eye sockets, and jaw. He had a gray nose paired with white whiskers. However, what amused Lea the most was that Riku did not possess a thick, full mane like his. The silver haired male's mane was stuck in between the awkward stage of youth and adulthood. Blue, silvery patches of mane traveled along the top of his head, sides, and bottom of his neck instead.

Lea suddenly snorted, which then turned into roars of laughter. Riku raised a brow, quickly glaring at the male. "What's so funny?" he hissed out, padding over to the laughing male.

"It's, it's just, look at your mane!" Lea laughed out, trotting around Riku. The more the redhead laughed, the more Riku's glare intensified. "You actually look fuzzy and cute instead of intimidating for once!"

Riku began to growl in a lion-like manner as Lea continued to guffaw. "You want something to laugh at?" Riku snapped as he crawled towards Lea menacingly. "We are stuck here!"

"What do you mean?" Lea asked. He gulped as Riku's nose harshly bumped against his and sea-green eyes narrowed at him.

"What I mean is, we crashed. The communicator is broken. The ship is missing a gummi piece and won't operate without it. We barely have supplies to get us through a day," Riku continued as his voice got progressively lower. "And what happens when we bump into heartless? I only packed a couple of elixirs to get us through one training session at the colloseum."

"Well, if we encounter any heartless, then I have my chakrams for worst case scenario. In case my Keyblade decides to not work."

Riku snorted as he backed up. "Oh yeah?" he challenged. The silverette smirked as he stretched very much like a cat and then laid down, laying his head on the top of his resting paws. "Show me. With your lack of hands."

Lea blinked and then realized Riku was right. He didn't have hands to even use his chakrams..."Well, speak for yourself. How about your Keyblade?" Lea shot back, smirking.

Riku's body raised and his expression remained emotionless. He merely stood in place and opened his mouth in the slightest before Way to the Dawn appeared majestically, clutched in between his teeth.

"Whaaaaat, that's not fair! I wanna do that!" Lea whined. His eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth wide, waiting for the same thing to happen to him. Only it didn't happen and Lea just stood there ridiculously, his canines showing prominently. "That's not fair," he repeated softly, slumping to the ground. He sighed before he continued, "Damn thing works whenever it feels like. So what do we do now, oh master of the Keyblade?"

Way to the Dawn disappeared and Riku walked over to the bags, opening them up by hooking his teeth into the zipper and pulling it. "We have to find the gummi piece. Seeing as this place is huge by the looks of the savannah, we're better off trying to find some food. Water. Supplies to last us through, and shelter," Riku explained seriously as he pulled out the bags of lunch they had prepared. "We eat now for energy, then we go explore." Riku pushed the unfinished sandwich with a paw that Lea had previously opened on the ship. "Alright?"

Lea managed the best he could with paws and teeth to open the sandwich. "Sounds like the best plan we've got," he commented, devouring his food with his new, alien teeth.

"It's the only one we've got," Riku clarified.

The two ate in silence, finishing their small meals. Riku sighed before standing up, his head tilted towards a big, rock in the distance. "I think it would be best if we go this way. That looks like something in the distance. There might be others like us."

"Just looks like a big, stupid rock to me," Lea scoffed. "And besides, we're trying to avoid as many heartless as possible. Heartless are usually where hearts are. We should try the other way."

"Lea-" Riku started, but the redhead stood by his decision and started to walk in the opposite direction of what the silverette suggested. With a shake of his head, Riku padded along.

After all, they still had to stick together.

* * *

><p><strong>Arckahlys: <strong>I was about to respond to you with your old username for a second! I blame Riku as well. But Lea was irritating him a bit after all haha! I don't think I've met a man who is not obsessed over keeping his vehicle clean. Every man in my family is like that!

I**gnie: **Their body parts should have crashed together if ya know what I mean. -laughs- I'm glad you're already enjoying yourself!

**gaara'sGurl101**: Merry Christmas and Happy LeaKu year!


	3. Heartless, and the Biggest Nobody

_Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Rikuturned into a crash landing. And all over a silly sandwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters._

**A.N.:** So I just realized this ended up not being a oneshot like I said in my previous fanfictions. But, I actually enjoy writingg with canon-worlds! Many more chapters to come! And I sure hope I'm explaining some action sequences decently...it is my first time doing things like this!

OH, by the way, the mobile version of the website is progressively getting shittier. The hit detection is shit, the select option is shit, everything is shit. End of rant.

* * *

><p>Riku walked beside Lea as they traveled along the dead land.<p>

The silver lion looked around, not being able to shake this feeling of the two of them being watched. He couldn't explain it logically, but it felt like there were many eyes examining their every step as they ventured deeper into the driest lands yet. "Let's stop, for a moment," Riku suggested, facing the redheaded male.

"Tired already?" Lea joked, shaking his mane about. "Jeez, I thought you had more stamina than that."

"No, I just...don't you feel it?" Riku asked seriously. Lea raised a brow in question as Riku continued with a whisper. "You know, like we're being watched?"

"I think you're imagining things. I don't feel any danger at all," Lea chuckled. "Now, c'mon. This gummi piece isn't going to find itself."

Riku remained silent as he padded along Lea once more. His eyes looked about at the scenery. It seemed that the more they traveled along this path, the drier the land was. There were less patches of grass, less signs of water. "It's like this place is..."

Lea stopped before a skeletal form, whistling in admiration. "Woah..."

"...Dead," Riku completed, backing up significantly to examine the framework of the bones. It looked like a large animal, an elephant.

What could have taken something as big as an elephant down? A big pack of meat-eating lions, hyenas, or some crazy, sharp-toothed mammal that could potentially eat them? The thought sent a shiver up Riku's spine, but he remained stoic.

Lea walked further along as he used the skeleton's spine as a bridge. He crawled down until he reached the end, Riku trailing not too far behind. The silver haired male suddenly stopped as Lea kept on going.

Riku froze at the end of the spine, tensing at the landscape's view. It was no longer just bare dirt, but it was an entire site filled with the very same skeletons. Dozens of elephant bones plagued the dying land. He was staring at a graveyard...

"We should stop. Now."

"Relax, Riku. Everything here is dead. It looks like nothing's been here for ages," Lea remarked as his green eyes flicked about.

Riku took a mighty leap and landed right in front of Lea's path, snarling at the redhead. "No. This is dangerous," he growled out.

"What? The elephant zombies are gonna come back to life and eat our flesh?" Lea said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, grow up," Riku scoffed.

"It's okay, I'll protect you if you're so scared." Lea winked at the teal-eyed lion, brushing past him. "Remember, Dark Rescue is my middle name."

Riku's glared at Lea's walking form, putting forth all his annoyance into this stare. He then sprang forward again, blocking the redhead's path. "No. We're not going any further than this," he declared, slamming his paw down. "That's an order."

"Who made you alpha male?" Lea commented with a quirk of his brow. He went to walk around, but Riku moved in that direction, glaring intensely. "Okay, seriously Riku, move. We have to search here eventually for the piece, anyway."

"Now's not that time. I'm not moving from this spot until we turn the hell around."

Lea chuckled, noticing the tone Riku was using. So the silverette thought he was the boss? The redhead leaned in real close, baring his teeth in a lecherous grin. "Fine. Have it your way."

Lea felt playful then, his paws firmly planted on the ground, his behind raised in the air. His eyes became sharper, his ears and body perking up alertly. A deep rumbling growl gurgled in his throat, causing Riku to stare at the male confusedly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Riku asked. The other male was behaving strangely. But, the silverette didn't have time to mull over this odd animal-like behavior before Lea lunged and pounced the surprised male. Riku found himself on his back, eyes wide and paws tucked into his furry torso. Lea's paws pressed into his shoulders strongly, pinning the smaller lion on the ground. Was that the sound of content purring Riku heard from Lea? "Axel, w-what the actual hell," he stuttered.

Lea blinked as he shook his head, coming out of his animalistic daze. "Uh...adrenaline rush I guess?" Lea explained nervously, not knowing what had caused him to pin the other male to the ground. "And it's Lea."

Riku was going to say more on the matter, but he gasped as he pushed Lea off roughly, spotting familiar dark figures forming. "Heartless!" His Keyblade materialized in his jaw as several Heartless began to appear, shadows to be exact. Lea was about to run into action, but Riku beat him to it.

Lea watched Riku as he ran towards the closest shadow, his jaw swinging his Keyblade to defeat it. His eyes admired Riku's circling form, every hit causing the Heartless to dissipate. "So cool..."

The redhead backed up when he realized a couple of shadows melted into the floor, slowly advancing towards him. They popped out in their full fledged small forms, twitching as they moved towards him. "You better stay back. My keyblade will come any second, just you watch," Lea warned, his body slowly retreating backwards. When the two jumped towards him, he instinctly opened his jaw wide and released a loud roar, causing the attacking shadows to rebound from the loud noise and then disappear into dissolving darkness. "Hah, serves you right..."

"I guess that's one way to get rid of them," Riku said as he walked over to Lea. His ears perked as he heard a series of ominous winds picking up. As he turned, Riku and Lea witnessed the spawning of bigger and badder Heartless, Living Bones to be exact. They bobbed around on their hind legs and snapped their two-colored jaws at the two lions.

Lea looked around, realizing they were surrounded. "They're way bigger than the shadows!"

"I don't think roaring is going to help you this time," Riku worriedly said, hunching in an attacking stance. "Now's the time to get that Keyblade of yours to appear! I'll hold them off!"

One Living Bones ran towards them, and the two leaped in two opposite directions. It was more interested in Riku however, which gave Lea enough time to keep distance. The redhead saw as Riku called out a Zero Graviga spell, causing the Heartless to get pulled towards a small, purple ball and revolve around it. "Thunder!"

"C'mon, Keyblade..." Lea growled furiously, closing his eyes in concentration. Riku was putting up quite the fight, but these heartless were stronger in a pack, no matter how strong the silverette was. He would surely run out of stamina. "Riku needs my help. There's not much time left..."

Lea peeked to see the beginning of a gleam form in his jaw. But, at the same time, the Graviga spell couldn't hold the Heartless forever, especially since they were large. A surviving one ran towards the redhead, and he panicked. What if moving prevented him from finally summoning his Keyblade? What if-

"Axel!" a scream tore through Lea's conscience, tearing from Riku's throat. Riku ran just in time to push Lea out of harm's way and putting himself into it instead. The Heartless tackled the silver lion and Lea stared in horror as his body was flung some feet away, being knocked roughly into one of the ribs of an elephant skeleton.

"Riku!" Lea yelled as he quickly got to his feet, his Keyblade finally appearing in his jaw. With a silent moment of victory for doing so, he called out a fire spell, standing strongly to withstand the knock back of it. The ball of fire hurled towards the heartless, effectively destroying it quickly. Lea grinned momentarily, but he then ran towards the still lion laying against the craning skeletal rib.

Riku opened his eyes halfway, peering towards the leaning redheaded lion. "Riku, you're alright...oh no, you're hurt," Lea murmured, staring at the dirt and scratches the other had. Lea's paw went help the other male up, before it was swiped away by a white clawed one.

"Do not touch me," Riku growled as he stood with a wounded stance.

Lea stared as Riku stubbornly continued to stand against the protest of his injured body. The redhead knew Riku fought hard and therefore, he was weakened. "Let me help. I can try a cure spell," Lea insisted as he walked carefully towards the silverette.

"You've done enough damage, alright?!" Riku yelled at him, stopping Lea in place with shock lining his features.

"Calm down, Riku," Lea spoke softly as he slowly approached him. "Just let me help you."

"I can help myself!"

"Why won't you just let me help you?" Lea asked frustrated. "Are you trying to keep your pride or something?"

"No. It's because you're a damn liability and you'll never be able to help!"

Lea blinked as Riku's words processed. "What...But, I..." the redhead fumbled for words softly, but they got lost as Riku continued.

"What if I didn't have a Keyblade?" Riku asked lowly as his eyes narrowed. "What if I were a bystander in this world? I would be devoured in darkness!"

"I...I'm sorry. I..."

"Sorry doesn't revive those who lose their hearts," Riku spat out. "Why were you even chosen in the first place?"

Lea's jaw tightened around his Keyblade as Riku hurt him with these words. So, this was what the silverette thought of him. From the beginning of this trip, Lea realized now he never had a chance of getting Riku to like him.

"You're wrong," Lea whispered. Riku stared as the ex-Organization member's voice progressively got louder. "I'll show you that you're wrong. I'm...I'm going to get that gummi piece myself!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You wouldn't even make it a day by yourself," Riku scoffed as he began to limp the other direction. "Now let's leave."

"I'll show you," Lea growled as he ignored Riku's order. He shook his head to gather up courage and shake away doubting thoughts before he sprang off away from the silver haired male.

"Hey, wait!" he heard Riku call after him, but Lea picked up the pace as he sprinted even further.

There was no going back. He'll show Riku that he wasn't a complete failure.

* * *

><p><strong>To<strong> **Arckahlys**: Damn, I was about to keep it a surprise! But yes, it's going to be based off on Lion King 2! Only because KH DDD is set after KH 2, which was pretty much based off the first Lion King, so time wise, it makes sense to me. And I liked Lion King 2! The Upendi scene was so adorable, and I'm definitely using some elements from that. Even to ship Lea and Riku! Kovu and Kiara are the cutest together!

Yes, I've done research about lions before starting this fiction, even their mating! I've read that the reason that their errrr, penis is spiky is to help the female ovulate. So if it hurts for the female, it must hurt even more for the male! When that time comes, it's gonna be funny to write.

**gaara'sGurl101**: Haha, yep! That's Lea for you!

**Ignie**: AGH you and your terrible puns! I love it! They've crushed with each other ever since KH DDD came out, at least in my eyes! :D Ienzo, don't slap her! Pick on someone your own size! Since you're so short haha! Lions are really cute! Except the part when they tear you into pieces!

GAH do your homework now! Well, it's probably too late to say that actually. Hmm, this chapter, make sure to do your homework! Or, or, or I'll send Dyme after you! YEAH!


	4. Lea and the Outlanders

_Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Riku turned into a crash landing. And all over a silly sandwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters._

**A.N.:** Hey guys, this is a another chapter. This is Lea's side, and the next chapter will be Riku's side. It'll be more organized this way. AND AN UPDATE.

**Yes I updated slightly! I MISPELLED NUKA'S NAME AGH. Don't know how that happened and now I feel like an idiot! UGH**

* * *

><p>Lea allowed his four legs to take him wherever he was planning to go and stopped when he became far too tired for his own good.<p>

He scolded himself briefly for running so fast without any source of water, or food for that matter. "Stupid, so stupid!" Lea hissed, shaking his head rapidly. There was definitely no signs of water back in the graveyard and now, in what was a narrow path in between large rocky walls, he was lost. Then again, he never knew where he was to begin with.

Lea sighed as the lighting around him became darker when he continued on this path. A moment ago he was determined to prove Riku wrong, but now he wasn't so confident in himself.

Lea glanced around, now in a darker part of the gorge. There were craters that protruded from the ground and he slightly climbed to peek in one. "Hello?" his voice echoed. At that precise moment, green smoke blew out and he fell back.

"Disgusting!" he coughed out, nearly gagging. "Never doing that again..."

He shook his head until his mane was back into place and crawled away with a disgusted face. Maybe the silver haired male was right about him. He often just jumped into action, like how he had stupidly done now. He really was a liability and he couldn't help at all...

Then Lea's eyes widened. There was something right next to the small geyser. Something small, colorful, and bumpy-

"The gummi piece!" Lea exclaimed with a huge smile. Maybe he wasn't a complete screw-up after all! But, a noise of quick scattering from above caught Lea's attention instead and he looked up curiously. He gasped as another lion much like himself jumped from protruding rocks in the gorge, making its way down the ground level.

He emerged from the shadows, his red eyes glinting at the redhead. The lion had a thin, scraggly black mane and was even thinner than Lea was. "Oh, look, a _pride lander_. Here to take whatever we have left," he sarcastically said, suddenly making a fake leap at Lea, who backed up significantly. Lea stared, still intimidated, as the other lion snatched up the gummi piece.

Lea was only scared until he realized he was a lion himself. He was no longer human prey, but an equal. He used this new form to his advantage as he growled, "Back off."

With a blink and a shocked face, the scraggly maned lion backed up and Lea grinned victoriously, until two tan colored lionesses with matching dark shaded eyes crawled out of the darkness. One had a tuft of fur on the top of her head and was younger while the other was intimidating in presence.

The more intimidating lioness had angular features and crimson eyes, making her appear sinister in appearance. She was lean, but had sharp extended claws that Lea was afraid to tear his eyes from lest they slit his throat. "See mother? That's the pride lander we've followed," the younger lioness said evilly with a smirk.

"We'll send _Simba_ a nice corpse then..."

"Pride lander? Simba? What are you talking about?" Lea asked, crouching in a defensive stance.

"Don't act stupid," the male lion said sarcastically. He became terrified and silent as the older lioness sneered and growled at him.

He stood straight up as the oldest of the three stalked up to him, walking around the red maned lion. "You're saying that you don't know _Simba_? The one who is making my daughter and sons suffer so?" the lioness asked with a fake pained tone that sounded too real. She gave a knowing look to her daughter and son, who nodded at some unknown secret the three of them shared.

"No, I'm not...really around from here," Lea hesitantly explained.

"It must be so hard being a loner," she seemed to sympathize, smirking her sharp teeth. "You can relate to our troubles and woe. But first, let us acquaint ourselves...I'm Zira. And that is my daughter Vitani, and son, Nuka."

"I'm Lea," he responded with a smile. "What, uh, happened here? With this Simba you're talking about?"

"Simba is the leader of the Pride Lands," Zira sneered, saying the lion's name with such resentment, Lea couldn't help but notice. "He's murdered my husband, Scar, the past leader, to selfishly become king himself...And banished whoever was loyal to Scar. Now, we are here, with barely any water or food while Simba and his pride have plenty."

"That's a terrible thing for them to do..." Lea trailed off with a concentrated expression. He was a Keyblade wielder now, and what they did was aid those in trouble, right? "Maybe I can help."

"What could one lion like yourself do?" Nuka asked, mocking Lea.

"Well, my friend...he went in the direction of the Pride Lands. I have to meet up with him eventually. So, I can talk to Simba and ask him to let you back in the pride," Lea said confidently. "But, I can't do that without that piece Nuka has."

Zira looked at her two children, who all shared this collaborative plan. "I actually concocted a plan of my own...my son, Kovu, befriended the daughter of Simba. Their friendship is what will help us get into the pride, being as their alliance will help convince Simba. But, I need you to do one thing. Make sure Kovu remembers this, then you can have what you want."

Lea thought this task was easy enough. All he had to do was make sure Kovu and Simba's daughter maintained their friendship, then he would get the gummi piece back. "I'm on it," Lea said with determination, running off from the lions.

As the redhead left, Zira smirked as the start of her evil plot came into place.

* * *

><p>A.N.: Zira has evil plans afoot, so obviously lying about their situation, and that's using Lea. Too bad he doesn't realize it, being a good citizen and all!<p>

**To Arckahlys:** -hugs Lea too- We must all comfort the Lea! Riku, you apologize right now. Oh woah, I think those are angelfish you're talking about! Might look that up actually, because there are some fish that just change gender...I remember that happening in Jurassic Park too, one of my favorite movies, where the female dinosaurs gained certain hormones that allowed them to mate. But, that's fake haha! The fish are real.

**To Ignie:** Being punder arrest...I see what you did there! -shifty eyes- Riku will eventually realize that he's in love with the Lea! RIKU, say you're sorry! Now! Ah no, don't throw water on her! She'll melt! NOOO!


	5. Riku and the Pridelanders

_Summary: What was supposed to be a smooth training session for Lea and Riku turned into a crash landing. And all over a silly sandwich. LeaKu (LeaxRiku). Canon worlds. Rated M for later chapters._

**A.N.:** Ah, yusssss, the chapter is done, and this one was my favorite ones so far to write. The next will be even more fun! There is still a way to go with this story, but it might be a while until the next chapter. In exactly four days, I'm going to college and I'll be busy shopping and gathering my things to move back into my dorm. I'll be updating one chapter to my other story before I move, at least I'll try. So with the semester, I will try to update this story because I really enjoy this one. Just warning that it will be a long while and sorry for that!

* * *

><p>As Riku was getting ready to procure Cura for himself, Lea already had ran a considerable distance to even catch up.<p>

He looked over in the direction of where Lea went, debating whether or not to go after him. With a downcast stare, he assumed Lea did not want to speak with him anyway, nor did he want to speak with Lea. Maybe a little time will heal the hurtful, regretful words Riku said.

Riku let out the longest of sighs. His mind was heavier than fog and the words he uttered ran by over and over like a broken record. No, it would have to be a long time for Riku to even face Lea right now.

_Why were you even chosen in the first place?_

As if Riku had the right to say that. Lea didn't choose this life; the Keyblade did. The silverette groaned as guilt made him a little sick to his stomach. The best thing to do was continue this journey on his own, and find this gummi piece himself. The sooner he did that, the sooner he could leave with Lea and if he were lucky, by then Lea would have forgiven him.

Riku took it slow and steady as he traveled, even making it as far as where the gummi ship was. He took a long side glance at it and sighed. Looking at it wouldn't get it fixed. Action would. With a nod, Riku looked ahead of him, his four legs strongly taking him to the large rock formation in the distance.

Riku's hopes had risen higher as the more he followed about this path, he finally encountered more lively vegetation. The tan, dried up bushes eventually transformed into lush green grass with softer tan soil. Riku loved the feeling of the cool soil in between the junction of his paws as he walked.

He grinned as he walked to the edge of a small body of water, some shrubs and Acacia trees decorating the edges of the water. Riku cautiously walked in, dipping his aching paws with a relieved sigh.

Riku sure was tired, but more so he was thirsty. He couldn't really be picky, so his head dipped and nuzzled the water with the tip of his nose. His rough tongue flicked out and taste tested, sighing blissfully for the taste of fresh water.

After a few more licks, Riku sprinted across the shallow water, splashing the whole way with his paws. Off in the not too far distance were the large rocks. So, he paced with what he considered a jog, becoming more high-spirited with water in his system.

Riku finally made it to the edge of the rock, getting some cautious looks by several lionesses. He continued up the sloped path, passing them before a male lion stepped forward from his den to meet Riku halfway. His torso was burly and strong and his mane was a healthy red-orange.

The silverette stopped in his tracks as the older lion acknowledged him with a question. "Who are you?"

"My name is Riku," he answered strongly. He headed one step towards the powerful looking lion. "I'm here to look for a missing piece that I have lost."

"I'm sorry Riku, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave the Pridelands," the lion simply said, turning around slowly. "I'll trust you to leave."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Riku replied professionally.

"Then you leave me no choice," the lion softly said. As the older lion crouched, Riku unwillingly summoned his Keyblade for this encounter.

"Simba, wait," a female voice called. A pale peach furred lioness with gentle blue eyes padded over to the lion named Simba. "Just look." Her head gestured over to what was in Riku's mouth. Simba slowly retained a more friendlier position, staring at Riku with confused eyes.

"Nala, that's similar to what our friend, Sora, had," Simba said.

"You know Sora?" Riku asked as his Keyblade vanished at will, walking closer to the two lions. "Small, goofy, with a head of spiky brown hair? That's my best friend."

Simba and Nala chuckled at the much-too-accurate description Riku had given them. "The very one. I'm assuming he finally found you?"

"Yes, he did," Riku murmured gratefully with a smile. Then he resumed his serious facade. "I'm very sorry to intrude, but, I have lost a piece to something...important. It's really small, colorful, and looks mechanical. Have you seen it anywhere?"

Nala looked at Riku with an apologetic look as she shook her head. "No, we haven't seen anything like that. At least, not in the Pridelands."

"I see. Is there anywhere else I can search?"

"Yes, there is. Follow me," Simba offered with a friendly smile.

Riku followed closely to Simba as they walked down the angled rock slope and onto the grassy terrain. The silver haired lion looked questionably at Simba as he sighed. "I'm sorry I have dragged you away, but, there is something I need to ask of you."

"Is something wrong?" Riku asked with concern. He was ready to put this world's concerns over his own, despite that he was practically stuck here.

"I'm unsure," Simba replied uneasily. "I'm worried about my daughter, Kiara. She is running off with an Outlander, Kovu. Kovu seems nice, but I cannot trust him just yet."

"Who are the Outlanders?" Riku questioned.

"They are a group of lions I have banished from my pride for being loyal to...someone who has caused dark times to befall us," Simba answered with a slight bow of his head. He then looked at Riku seriously. "I'm sorry to be selfish and put this heavy task on you, but...Can you just make sure she is safe?"

"Of course. I'll look for her."

"Thank you. Maybe you could find your piece along the way. Again, I apologize, but I must stay with the den. And please, be careful."

"I'll make sure your daughter is safe," Riku answered with a small smile. The silverette then set off into the savannah.

The large sun over the horizon of the landscape was setting. It cast a warm, bronze hue over the Pridelands. This was the first time Riku noticed how beautiful this world was, well at least this side.

He gasped as he saw the sight of several other animals. Zebras, giraffes, antelopes: animals he's never been this close to. This truly was a sight to behold and might convince him to come back.

The thought of coming back brought his mind back to Lea, which then worried Riku. Maybe he shouldn't wait until he found the gummi piece to search for Lea...

Riku's thoughts vanished as he looked up at the largest baobab tree that he's seen so far in the Pridelands. Maybe he could get a better view of the land to find Kiara and Lea if he climbed up there.

Riku summoned his Keyblade, calling out, "Wind!" He summoned a swirl of air, propelling him high enough to grab onto a thick branch with his claws. He pulled himself onto the stable branch and walked carefully to a small clearing of the tree. Small patches of light seeped through the intertwining branches, giving Riku enough light to inspect the bark that served as walls.

Riku crawled over to some pigmented drawings on the wall, seeming to be handmade. They were all simple drawings of lions and the more he stared, the more he began to decipher them. There was one with a red-orange mane that looked more faded, that reminded him of Simba.

Then there were more lions beneath the Simba drawing that appeared to be new. There was peachy one without a mane. Perhaps this was a female? Right next to her, there was a brown lion with a dark, black mane.

"You are lost, yes?"

Riku gasped as he turned around at the thick-accented voice, coming face to face with a mandrill. The animal had a red nose surrounded by blue, black, and gray features. With a shocked face, Riku tripped backwards, quickly getting up and gathering his senses. He looked over at the mandrill, now seeing that he also had scraggly white hair surrounding his face and held a tree branch for a cane. "I-I am. Eh, uh..."

The mandrill cackled, his cane with wobbling fruit shaking with his insane laughter. Riku's eyes further widened as the mandrill walked forward with his cane. "You are lost! Here," he explained, gesturing to the outside with his hand. Then his cane tapped Riku lightly on the head and he grinned, his small teeth showing. "And here."

"H-huh?" Did this ape suggest Riku's head couldn't think straight? "What do you mean?"

The primeape smiled and his finger gestured to the drawing of the female lion. "We are lost when we are alone. We think with violence, doubt, and peace is gone." The mandrill then grabbed some hanging fruit from a branch, cracking it open. He sloshed it around with his fingers, running the light wet pigment across the female lion and dark maned lion's heads. "But together, peace can be gained."

Riku listened carefully to the monkey's wise words. "Are you saying that Kiara and Kovu being together...will settle the dispute between Simba and the outlanders? But, the outlanders betrayed Simba..." Riku was smacked on the head harshly with the cane. "Oww! What was that for?!"

The mandrill cackled temporarily as Riku rubbed the top of his head with his paw. "There is more beyond what you see," he explained. "Pridelanders, Outlanders, there is none of that. There is only us, and the Circle of Life." The mandrill guided Riku's head towards another branch, where there were drawings he recognized.

One silver lion and one lion with a red mane were drawn next to each other. Right in the line of his eyesight, Riku saw the monkey's hands hold the two halves of the fruit and close, creating the illusion of the drawn lions becoming closer and closer. "And once that circle is complete, perhaps it will also bring others together."

Riku turned around, more confused than ever. Why were there drawings of him? Drawings of Lea? Did this ape know Lea and did he know where he was? "What are you trying to say?" Riku raised his brow as the mandrill rose with excitement, grabbed his cane with much energy.

"You follow old Rafiki! He knows the way!"

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: Did I just technically make Rafiki ship Lea and Riku? Did I just do that? Lol<strong>

**To Arckahlys:** Yes, I saw it! I thought it was an interesting concept. It would make the boss fights with Axel more challenging if he went berserk. Yeah, it was easy for Lea to be manipulated since he knew nothing. Plus, he was lied to!

**To Ignie:** Poor Lea! Too bad he doesn't even know what is really happening...soon he will! And noooo not the vegetables! Hopefully you'll get a little more Ienzo in KH3! That'll make all of us happier in all honesty. He is actually really cute when he is younger.

**To gaara'sGurl101:** It can only get worse...-laughs like Ed the hyena- We could only know with due time!


End file.
